Iran to Sue Emirates over Renaming UAE Pro League

Recently the officials of Emirates announced that UAE Pro League will be renamed the Arabian Gulf League from next season. Since “this gulf is one of the country’s most important resources for life”, the Football Federation of Emirates have considered rebranding the league.

Iranians argue that the real name of this gulf is Persian Gulf, according to historical records. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi announced on Tuesday that Islamic Republic will investigate this case scrutinizingly.

“We intend to sue the Football Federation of UAE if the country has selected false name for their football league. However, we have not yet received any updates with regard to Emirates’ recent move. But we kindly recommend the officials of UAE to stick with international rules governing sports topics.” Seyed Abbas Araghchi remarked during a press-conference.

He also referred to FIFA guidelines in this regard. “According to our information, no organization should take political advantage of football. Base on international recognitions, Persian Gulf is the true and right term for this gulf. The governments and federations of Persian Gulf countries must choose the right name for their local tournaments and competitions.” Seyed Abbas Araghchi added.

Iran Football Federation Legal Committee head Houshang Nasirzadeh has already said that Iran will file a legal complaint against UAE in near future.

Iranians have also launched several campaigns in social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter in order to condemn UAE for using ‘fake name’.

Rivalry between Iran and some Arab states, along with the emergence of pan-Arabism and Arab nationalism, has seen the name Arabian Gulf become predominant in some Arab countries.